The Folger's Department of Photography and Digital Imaging provides researchers and the public access to the Library's world-class collection of rare books, manuscripts, and art through high-quality, open-access digital images. You can explore and enjoy the Library’s treasures through our online digital image collection, and freely use the vast majority of our images for research, teaching, and fun.

If you need new images of collection materials, we are happy to help. You can find more information about ordering images and about permissions for image use.

We provide high-resolution digital photographs and scans, producing images that equal or surpass current national standards for preservation. Our average master image begins life as a 100–120MB file, and our processed, post-produced, ready-for-publication final product is 80–90MB. For books and bound manuscripts, we use a conservation copy stand, made for us by Manfred Mayer in Graz, Austria, and a Kaiser RSP 2motion copy stand, each with a Digital Transitions RCam reprographic camera and a P65+ camera back controlled by Phase One’s Capture One software. We also use Epson Expressions 10000XL flatbed scanners for imaging flat items such as letters and art on paper.